Marcelo calls for modernizing military facilities and encouraging careers

The President of the Republic on Tuesday insisted on the need to strengthen and modernize military assets and upgrade skills, and reiterated the call for a new Strategic Defense Concept to gather a broad political consensus.

The Head of State and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces spoke at the Centro Cultural de Belém in Lisbon at the end of a seminar on “Challenges to National Security and Defense” organized by the Independent Strategic Review Group (GREI).

In his speech, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa stated that the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine demonstrated “the lack of European sustainability in the defense sector” and that “this is a unique opportunity to rethink Portugal’s national defense priorities and national strategic policy directions.” actions”, referring to the maxim “if you want peace, prepare for war”.

“It is impossible to implement the Strategic Concept for National Defense without adequate resources, under the threat of making it unfeasible. Disappointed with the latest law. But I’m also talking about human resources. More than ever, it is important to appreciate and recognize those who defend our flag every day in Portugal and abroad,” he said.

With regard to material resources, he believed that “in the very short term, special attention and urgency should be given to eliminating the shortage of maintenance, modernizing existing capacities, rebuilding military stocks as a result of too long periods of decline in investment, fueled by a world that was considered to be long lived over the past 30 years.”

According to the President of the Republic, in addition, “investments in truly structuring and technologically advanced projects should be considered.”

“Projects that allow you to build modern combat capabilities in various operational environments, allowing you to counter modern threats in such diverse areas as space, cyberspace, hybrid warfare, maritime security, including the protection of marine resources and subsoil or submarines. cables, not forgetting traditional combat capabilities,” he said.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa defended that “Public national defense spending should move in the direction of at least what was agreed with NATO partners of 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) – the target , defined almost ten years ago and which may be subject to revision at the next NATO summit in Vilnius.”

“It is also important to evaluate the formula for calculating this value to make sure that the value transferred does not weaken the ability of Portugal as an ally,” he said.

In terms of human resources, the head of state stated that the military “receives the lowest average monthly income compared to the entire state administration” and chose the promotion of his career as “the main goal for attracting and retaining talent.”

“Over time, I remembered that there were updates regarding other functions of sovereignty, namely the judiciary. The Armed Forces did not have an equivalent system of military training and qualifications, improvement of working conditions, social and professional recognition of military status, or encouragement to serve,” he added.

Present were the former President of the Republic, General António Ramalho Eanes, and the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, General Nunez da Fonseca, as well as representatives of the three branches of service.

The secretaries general of the Internal Security System and Information System of the Portuguese Republic, the Commander-in-Chief of the National Republican Guard and the National Director of the Judicial Police were also present at the closing of this seminar.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa took the opportunity to reiterate the call for a new Strategic Defense Concept, which is claimed to be “an object of broad political consensus, the content of which in its fundamental matrix will be maintained throughout the various electoral cycles, even if they are necessarily open.” be reviewed at appropriate intervals.”

For the head of state, no less important in this process is the “public recognition” of the document to be approved, which must be “widely distributed and legitimized by the Portuguese”.

“There is also the new NATO Strategic Concept and the European Union Strategic Compass, inevitable references to national strategic frameworks that also require such a review,” he said.

In his opinion, Portugal should “determine national lines of action in line with NATO and the European Union”, but “never forgetting the national identity and independent areas of activity of the country”, with its “unique geographical position” and numerous fields of activity. multilateral and bilateral relations.

The President of the Republic stressed the idea that “the importance of increasing strategic autonomy and national resilience in relation to the military defense of the national territory and the Portuguese cannot be overlooked”, and in this regard drew attention to the “vast maritime territory”. Portugal.

“This space has become the scene of growing economic importance and strategic disputes, and its effective occupation is a national imperative that guarantees national security and sovereignty in this space, the protection of its resources and the safety of activities carried out there,” he said. said. .

GREI is a non-profit association created in 2015, which, according to its statute, “aims to carry out strategic economic and social studies of Portugal and Portuguese society in terms of its development, its defense and security and the values ​​of citizenship.”